Lubricator



F. R ASHTON. LUBRICATOR. APPucATxoN FILED APR.22',1915.

Patented Aug. 1, 19.16.

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FRANK R. ASHTON, 0F ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

LUBRICATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

la'tented Ang. l, 1916.

Application filed April 22, 1915. Serial No. 23,087.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK R. ASHTON, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lubricators, of which the following is a. specification.

This invention relates particularly to lubrlicators of the kind employed in connection with the bearings of overhead shafting, although it is applicable to lubricators for other purposes.

One object of the invention is to produce a lubricator, of simple and inexpensive construction, which may be readily operated from beneath. To this end I employ a construction in which the receptacle in which the lubricatingoil is contained is vertically movable in such a manner as to expel its contents, either by the effect of gravity or by cooperation with a piston, through a conduit or tube leading from the receptacle to the bearing which is to be lubricated.

Another object of the invention, relating particularly to its use in connection with fluid lubricants, is to eliminate the necessity of pistons and packed joints, and to this end the lubricator, in one of its preferred forms, is so constructed and arranged that the gradual elevation of the oil-receptacle causes the oil to be discharged therefrom by gravity, thro-ugh a tube or conduit having provision for accommodating itself to such movement of the receptacle.

In the accompanying drawings :-I"igure l is a side-elevation of a lubricator embodying the present invention, together. with a portion of a shaft-hanger with which it is associated; and Fig. 2 is a plan-view, in section on the line 2--2 in Fig. l.

In Figs. l and 2 the invention is illustrated as embodied in a lubricator adapted particularly for use with fluid oils. In this case the oil-receptacle 5 is in the form of a can having a removable cover 6. 'Ihis can is provided, at one side, with a slide 7, which embraces a T-shaped vertical slideguide 8 upon which the receptacle is vertically movable. Two flexible metal tubes 9 extend from the bottom of the receptacle upwardly, and are formed with several small coils l0, embracing a horizontal supporting rod l1 projecting from the slide-guide 8, the coils being loose on the rod so that they may turn to the slight degree necessary to accomof the receptacle.

the bearing l2 which is to be supplied with oil. This bearing is shown as supported in a shaft-hanger 13 of ordinary form.

rIhe slide-guide 8 Iis mounted, by means of a lug 14; and a set-screw, upon a vertical rod l5 which is fixed in place by one of the screws 16 by which the shaft-hanger 13 is supported. rlhe slide-guide may be adjusted vertically on the rod l5, in order to bring the highest points in the oil-tubes or conduits suiliciently above the bearing l2 to insure the descent of oil into the bearing. These highest points are at the coiled portions of the tubes on the rod 1l, and in the original position of the lubricator, when the oil-receptacle is full of oil, this receptacle is at the lowermost position on the lslideguide, so that the level of the oil in the receptacle is even with the tops of the coils 10. The oil is caused to be discharged in the required amounts by moving the receptacle sufficiently to raise the level of the oil therein above the highest points in the conduits, so that a portion of the oil is discharged by gravity. For this purpose a screwl'?, which engages the bottom of the receptacle, is threaded into a cleft lug 18 at the bottom of the'slide-guide and is provided, at its lower end, with a flat handle 19 `by which it may be conveniently turned, either by hand or by the use of a stick with a forked end. A part of a turn of the screw l5) is usually sufficient to provide an ordinary shaft-bearing with enough oil for a days run, and thus. after one filling of the receptacle, the regular lubrication of the bearing requires only a moments attention daily for a period of several months.

In order to prevent the descending parts of the oil-tubes from acting as siphons, airvents Q0 are provided at the highest points in the tubes 9.

I claim 1. A lubricator having, in combination, an oil-receptacle; a guideway on which the oil-receptacle is vertically movable; means for supporting the guideway in overhead position alongside the bearing to be lubricated; a conduit communicating with'the oil-receptacle and extending therefrom to said bearing; and means accessible from below for raising the oil-receptacle to expel the oil through said conduit.

2. A lubricator having, in combination, an oil-receptacle; means for supporting the oilreceptacle adjacent the bearing to be lubricated and for guiding the oil-receptacle in substantially vertical movement; a conduit communicating with the oil-receptacle and extending from the bottom of the receptacle to a point which is above said bottom in all but the highest position of the receptacle, and from said point downwardly to the bearing; and means for gradually elevating the oil-receptacle to cause the oil to overflow said point in the conduit and run to the bearing.

3. A lubricatorV having, in combination, an oil-receptacle; a guideway on which the oil-receptacle is vertically movable; means for supporting the guideway, in overhead position, alongside a bearing to be lubricated; a screw engaging the bottom oi' the mezieres oil-receptacle and accessible from below, to elevate the receptacle;v and a flexible tube extending, from the bottom of the receptacle, toa point which is higher than said bottom when the receptacle is in its lowest position, and thence downwardly to the bearing.

AfA lubricator having, in combination, an oil-receptacle which is movable upwardly; a. conduit communicating with the receptacle and having a stationary part which is as high as the upper part of the receptacle when the latter is in its lowermost position, the conduit extending, from said part, downwardly to the bearing which is to be lubricated; and means for gradually elevating the receptacle to cause the oil to overflow through the conduit.

FRANK R. ASHTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five centsieach, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

